The Butcher's Hook
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The Butcher's Hook
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Narrated by:
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Janet Ellis
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By:
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Janet Ellis
About this listen
Longlisted for the Desmond Elliot Prize 2016.
The debut novel by actress and presenter Janet Ellis, The Butcher's Hook is the dark and unexpected tale of a young girl in 18th-century London determined to take her life in her own hands. No matter the cost.
Anne Jaccob is coming of age in late 18th-century London. When she is taken advantage of by her tutor - and her father's great friend - her powerlessness in the world is brought home to her. And it joins several other formative experiences in her short life so far that will serve to dictate her future actions. Her saviour appears in the form of Fub, the butcher's boy. But will what she learns in his company actually be her salvation or her damnation?
Anne's morality is certainly more than dubious, but the influences on her are no less so. And through Ellis' rich but deft storytelling and portrayal of Anne's strength of character, listeners will find themselves almost excusing her escalating crimes, even when self-defence becomes overridden by something darker.
This is a book in which the panoramas and filthy streets of the city, the colour and bear-baiting of St Bartholomew's Fair, the nobility and the hypocrisy of learning and piety, the excitement and envy of love and obsession, and the visceral rites of passage of passion and death are all gloriously celebrated and scrutinised.
A sweeping tale - but always an intimate one - told with the same intricate details as Sarah Waters' works and the compelling darkness of Hannah Kent's Burial Rites.
©2016 Janet Ellis (P)2016 Hodder & StoughtonListeners also enjoyed...
Critic reviews
"Dark, weird and gloriously feminist." ( Elle UK, Best New Books For 2016)
"A boldness rare in a first novel" ( Mail on Sunday)
"A strange, unsettling story." ( The Times)
"Audacious." ( Sunday Express)
"A top-class debut." (Fanny Blake, Woman & Home)
What listeners say about The Butcher's Hook
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- anna
- 22-12-18
unexpectedly horrific
Well, I did not expect this. The anti heroine in this story is thoroughly evil to the reader but to her, her terrible deeds are carried out in an amoral kind of way. This makes the story even darker and actually rather unpleasant. The story is very well written and Janet Ellis has a lovely way of using unusual similes. The beauty of her language is often in stark contrast to the awful crimes that are described in a "matter of fact" manner . The story is visceral and at times hard to listen to without grimacing but one is somehow compelled to carry on rather as one does when watching a horror movie where we watch through slightly parted fingers.
Janet Ellis narrates her story extremely well and knows exactly how to put her tale across. Some of the characters have rather Dickensian names such as 'Fub' and 'Onions' but it worked for Dickens.... and it works here.
This is definitely not for the faint hearted.Who would imagine that a charming former Blue Peter presenter could come up with something like this? Crikey. Readers - prepare for shocks galore and some sexually explicit scenes. I would not say I 'enjoyed' this as that is entirely the wrong word. I felt like a helpless onlooker and was actually pretty horrified and disgusted in turns. So a challenging read if you are up for it .
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- MS RUTH SHAW
- 06-03-16
A fascinating read
Where there are no choices a woman goes to extraordinary lengths for love... or infatuation. I was sorry when It ended... more please!
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- SarahJ
- 18-05-16
WOW
I didn't see that coming!
During a book signing at Main Street Trading, St Boswells, a member of the audience asked why the story had to be so shocking. I was intrigued to see what they meant. Personally I don't find it shocking as a read a lot of crime novels however it was not the type of story I expected. Fortunately Janet's style of writing had me hooked from the start and the intriguing character of Anne Jaccob was so refreshingly different not exactly a heroine but a worthy protagonist. I enjoyed Jesse Burtons The miniaturist - and would say that is the nearest book I could compare the Butchers hook too. Really a fascinating read and a story that could only be told first person through the eyes of Anne. If you like sweet romance novels then this is not the book for you but if you like something different then read away.
I look forward to Janet's next novel
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Bugzy
- 16-07-18
Mildly intriguing
I had several attempts at finishing this book. I would listen to a couple of chapters then get restless waiting for the story to move on. Eloquently written but very slow moving. I still haven't finished it!
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- sally
- 05-09-24
surprising
Funny, creative, dark. Incredible shift as narrator's character and the plot evolve. couldn't put down
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- J Forrester
- 06-03-16
Not good
I really wanted to like this. But I really didn't. The central character, Anne, is awful. She's intentionally hateful, but I didn't find this intriguing, just nasty and immature. For me the narration is irritating with plenty of laughable over-the-top voices - Mr Onions, for example.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Tara
- 26-04-18
dull dull dull
overly prosaic and unlikeable characters. boring and uninspired. far longer than was necessary by far. very disappointing
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1 person found this helpful